Fire and Cold Steel
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: During the Arabasta arc Luffy meets up with his brother Ace. Since he hasn't found who he was looking for Ace joins the Straw Hats for a time, and contemplates what he thinks of his little "brother". Meanwhile a certain Swordsman is vying for their Captain's attention, will Luffy notice? Will there be a clash between First Mate and Brother? LuXAce or LuXZolo votes will decide.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

Chapter 1 Prologue

"Kagerou!"

The crew stared open mouthed as the man jumped between them and the pursuing marines, the fire coming off his body obscuring him momentarily before he dropped into a fighting stance.  
"Give it up, you may be smoke, but I am fire. With our powers a fight would be pointless."  
"That guy's a Devil Fruit user." Zolo stated absent mindedly.  
"Who is he? Why would he help us?" Asked Usopp, his mouth hanging open wide.  
"Ace!" Luffy spoke hesitantly, not knowing whether he was dreaming or not.  
Looking back at the Straw Hats he grinned and shifted the hat so he could get a better look at them.  
"You never change Luffy." Dumbstruck Luffy repeated the name to himself.  
"Ace... it is Ace! You ate a Devil Fruit?" A small chuckle escaped the man in the orange hat.  
"Yeah, the Mera Mera Fruit." While they were speaking more marines gathered behind the man with the large jitte on his back.  
"Captain Smoker, what are your orders?" More and more marines lined up, rifles at the ready, as Ace and Luffy spoke.  
"Anyways, we can't talk like this. I'll catch up later, you guys run for it!" Staring at the scene before him Ace grinned.  
"I'll keep these guys busy. Now Go!" Grinning like mad Luffy held ont his hat, turned, and began to run. Just a few steps behind his crew began to follow, questions on their lips.  
"But Luffy, who the hell is that?"

Staring down the marines Ace let small flames appear on his body, not only did it keep them at a distance it showed them he was serious about fighting.  
"I don't get it. Why would you help the Straw Hat kid?" Chuckling Ace stared into the man's eyes, wondering how to answer the question.  
"Having a cute younger brother who's a bit on the slow side can make any older brother worry..." Smoker looked as if someone had struck him across the face.  
"What do you mean _younger brother_, that means..." It dawned on Smoke just how terrifying Straw Hat Luffy might be, considering who he was related to.

"Wait Luffy, just who was that? Is he someone you know?" Vivi's curious voice reached the dark haired Pirate Captain at the front and he smiled with pride.  
"Yeah, he's my big brother!" As they continued to run it took a moment for them to all come to the same conclusion. Then, like the close knit crew they were, all of them replied at the same time in disbelief.  
"Brother!"

The marine standing before him narrowed his eyes, smoke billowing out of the two cigars he had lit and placed in his mouth.  
"Move! Portgas D. Ace!" Of course the first word out of his mouth was a command, just like any old marine, stubborn and boring.  
"I don't think I will." With the same grin Ace erupted into a wall of flames, barring the marines path. Only his silhouette could be seen through the flames.  
"Who would have thought someone like you would be Straw Hat's elder brother." Flicking his hands the marine's arms turned into smoke, and both stood glaring at each other for a moment, sizing up the enemy. Throwing his arms forward Smoker sent twin tendrils of smoke flying toward the wall of flame.  
"White Spark!" As the two powers collided a large explosion could be heard and many of the normal citizens stood in shock. Not many got the chance to see one Devil Fruit use let alone two locked in combat. Both continued to put on the pressure as the heat and smoke rose into the air. Neither man was letting up, marines and pirates both were notoriously stubborn.

The Straw Hat Crew stopped for a moment to take a breather and couldn't help but watch the struggle between two equal powers.  
"What do you think is happening up there?" Chopper, in his reindeer form, inquired curiously.  
"A battle of Fire and Smoke?" Ussop's answer seemed like the group to be more of a question, probably the same question on everyone's mind.  
"He said he ate the *Mera Mera Fruit." Sanji replied in a monotone. As long as Nami and Vivi were safe he didn't much care about the strange man.  
"But Luffy, is that true? Is he really your brother?" Nami sounded the most skeptic out of anyone, then again with the exception of Zolo she had known Luffy the longest.  
"Yeah, he's Ace." Grinning proudly Luffy stood watching his brother fight, though he wondered when exactly Ace had eaten a Devil Fruit.  
"Well I'm not surprised you have a brother..." For some reason Zolo seemed annoyed, but most of the crew thought it was due to the green haired swordsman missing a nap. "But what's he doing on the Grand Line?"  
Glancing over at his Captain Zolo felt a pang of shame and guilt. Shame because of his jealousy and guilt because of the way he thought of Luffy.  
"Ace is a pirate." Continuing to stare at the battle the black haired youth kept grinning like he usually did. Though he hadn't seen his older adopted brother in a long time he still felt as close as ever. Luffy was proud to have a brother that was also a pirate.  
"He left our Island three years ahead of me to find One Piece." Sudden shock hit the crew, having left three years in advance it was almost a miracle that they happened to be in the same place at the same time. On top of that he had been just in time to save the Straw Hat crew from being captured by marines.

First to recover from the shock was Nami. Looking at the rest of the crew she raised her voice so they could hear her over the raging battle.  
"A-anyway, let's return to the ship. It would be best to run now before they try to catch us again." The blonde haired chef of the crew smiled in that love-struck way of his, hearts replacing his eyes.  
"Of course Nami-swan!"  
Starting to run Luffy turned back around to watch the fight, running backward he began to grin even wider.  
"I never thought I'd meet Ace here, of all places." Towers of black smoke covered the sky as the fighting raged on. So focused on the fight Luffy didn't notice when the rest of the crew turned down a separate road and continued along unaware.  
"Awesome, the pillars just keep getting bigger!"

Explosions spread across the sky as Ace battled for dominance. He had to give the crazy Marine credit, he was definitely not a pushover. Noticing that his little brother and crew were gone Ace fought back as hard as he could to build up more black smoke then quickly reverted to human form and slipped away.  
"Sorry Marine, but I've been looking forward to talking with a certain someone." Standing in the midst of the chaos left by their fight Marine Captain Smoker sighed in annoyance.  
"So, a fight between Fire and Smoke _is_ pointless after all. But you knew that didn't you..." Scanning the area with his eyes Smoker started to rethink his strategy.  
"Where did the Straw Hats go?" Slightly hesitant voices called out in answer, at least some of his marines had stood their ground.  
"They're gone! Ace as well! We lost sight of them..." After speaking the marines waited quietly to be judged, though they revered Smoker as a model Marine he was still a little terrifying when cross.  
Breathing in deeply he tasted the smoothness of his flavored cigar then let the breath out, then Smoker began to talk, almost to himself.  
"This is the first time I've caught up with Straw Hat since entering the Grand Line. Portgas D. Ace, you've become quite a nuisance..."

Back on the ship everyone was getting ready to set sail. Nami was issuing orders from the Galley doorway as the rest of the crew scurried about putting away supplies and preparing the ship. Suddenly all work ceased as the crew came to the same realization; Luffy was not on board the ship.

* * *

Well, first chapter done. Hope it isn't too confusing, I know writing it gave me a headache.  
This story will either end up a Luffy X Ace or a Luffy X Zolo, it's up to you to decide.  
Mature content in later chapters, look forward to it.

Mera Mera Fruit - Fire Fire Fruit: it is a Logia type, the kind that changes the body into an element.


	2. Chapter 2 Fleeing Nanoha

Chapter 2 Fleeing Nanoha

"That's strange. Why am I the only one here?" Sitting on the barrel of water, in the middle of a random street, Luffy wondered how his entire crew had gotten lost.  
"Now where did they go?" A shadow fell on the ground nearby but he took no notice of it.  
"Jeez, you don't even _look_ like you're trying to escape." Head bobbing, eyes darting, Luffy tried to find the source of the voice. Finally he looked up and there was his brother standing on top of a building.  
"Yo."  
"Ace!" The older dark haired young man jumped down, holding his hat to make sure it didn't fall off.  
"Long time no see Luffy." Seeing that smile slowly creep across his younger adopted brother's face Ace could feel a tingle of electricity run up his spine.  
"Same to you, Ace." That slightly higher pitched voice, those dark playful eyes, and that lithe body. How could Ace ever forget any of that? Both started laughing as Luffy got off the barrel and stood on one side. Elbow on the lid and hand on the side he took a stance and began to smirk, Ace copied him from the other side.  
"Jeez, how many years has it been?" The young captain asked as they clasped hands.  
"Dunno, but Luffy you've still got that whole _my pace_ way of doing things. You haven't changed a bit from when you were a kid." With all the strength they could muster both began trying to pin the others arm.  
"Neither have you. I was surprised to hear you had eaten a Devil Fruit, but nothing else changed." Grunting from the effort Luffy began retelling a story about their childhood, Ace tried to listen but he was preoccupied with the concentration it was taking not to lose. He was sure if he stared anywhere else but Luffy's eyes he would lose. Suddenly the barrel beneath them broke from the strain and they stood, hands still clasped together.  
"I guess we're both the same then." Letting go both raised their hands in a side high five.  
"Yeah, sure brings back memories." Though his reunion with Luffy was going well he knew they would be in trouble if they stay where they were.  
"Your Nakama are probably looking for you." Reaching into his pack the older brother pulled out a canteen and began to unscrew the lid.  
"Probably, but what are you doing here in this country Ace?" Looking confused he took a swig then threw it at his younger brother.  
"Huh? Didn't you get my message in Drum?" Looking confused Luffy wasn't ready for the canteen when Ace threw it at him. After almost dropping it twice he finally had a good hold and took a drink.  
"Well never mind then, it wasn't anything important. I just have some business to take care of while in this part of the ocean. Figure I'd try to meet up with you." Watching his younger brother stirred something in the pit of Ace's stomache, something he had thought he had gotten rid of years ago. Turning around he pointed to a tattoo over his spine in the middle of his back.  
"So, I'm with the Whitebeard Pirates now. This mark on my back is their symbol, it's my greatest pride. Luffy, how about joining the Whitebeard Pirates, your comrades too of course." A stern and thoughtful face is what met his eyes when he turned back around.  
"No." A flat refusal, it was so like his brother that Ace actually began to laugh.  
"Yeah, I thought so. Just thought I'd ask." Looking into the distance he began to remember when he first joined the crew.  
"Whitebeard is the greatest pirate i have ever known. I've decided to make that man Pirate King, not you Luffy." Glancing over at Luffy's face he saw a mostly playful, part serious face, but there was a small hint of something else. Could it be hurt?  
"So what? Just another person I'll have to defeat. _I'm_ going to be the Pirate King." He couldn't help but stare at his brother in amusement, he had expected that to be Lu-chan's answer. A moment passed of Luffy chugging water and Ace suddenly realized what he was doing.  
"Oi! Don't hog all the water!"

Walking down the street, side by side, Ace could almost smell his younger brother beside him. A combination of sea salt, sweat, and straw. It was a smell that had always been familiar, and though he would never admit it, the hat added a nice touch to his scent.  
"Ah, Luffy, where do you think your Nakama got off too?" Those blank eyes blinked for a second before the brow furrowed.  
"Maybe they've gone back to the ship." Nodding Ace looked ahead and was starting to feel a presence surrounding them.  
"What harbor did you anchor in?" Tilting his head to the side and rubbing his chin Luffy laughed.  
"Y'know, I have no idea." With a frown the older fruit user sighed.  
"Hey now, if you're tha Captain of the ship, remembering where ya docked is a given; normally." Another full laugh from the dark haired young man drew Ace's attention away from the feeling of being followed, but he didn't mind, they were weaklings anyway.  
"Whatever, don't worry about it."  
"You're the same as always Lu. By the way, those Nakama of yours, what kind of people are they?" Luffy looked down at his hand as he began to count them down. Starting with the first crew mate he had obtained.  
"A swordsman who wants to be the greatest in the world, he always wears a haramaki. Our navigator likes maps, mikan, and money. We also got a cook that makes super-delicious food. Oh yeah, we have a liar too. And... a reindeer." When he finished the straw hatted youth almost glowed with pride, he loved his crew more than anything.  
"A pretty nice variety you got there." Shaking his head he indicated to some of the ones stalking them, but he had no way to tell if Luffy also noticed.  
"Right now we have a princess and a spot-billed duck as nakama too." Ace lifted a brow and made an inquiring noise. How did Luffy manage to get a Princess on a Pirate ship?  
"They're all really funny."  
"Heh, well I bet you're the funniest of them all. However, it's just like you to run a small pirate crew." In his journeys Ace had joined with the Whitebeard pirates, because of this he was used to a very large crew. But he knew that with a small crew everyone could trust each other better, he just hoped he didn't have to threaten any of them behind his brother's back.  
"All we need now is a musician." Ace smirked, Luffy sure thought of the weirdest crew mates.  
"Stop right there Fire Fist Ace!" The brothers stopped for a moment as men began to surround them. A very large man wielding twin sabers stepped out of an alley, a smug smirk on his stubbled face.  
"As you can see there is nowhere to run. Fire Fist Ace, your head is ours. Prepare to die!" Standing beside his brother he inwardly sighed, he had only wanted some alone time with Luffy why did these people keep showing up?  
"Fire Fist Ace, your Devil's luck has run out!" Was this guy starting to monologue now? One of the other men was staring at Luffy, it made Ace feel a little annoyed but the man was a small fry, Luffy could handle it if he attacked.  
"Hey, isn't that Straw Hat Luffy?" Luffy stood there, the only expression on his face was a slight frown at being interrupted.  
"Hey it is, the 30,000,000 Berri Bounty!" The large man turned his head to look at the kid beside Fire Fist and grinned.  
"We sure are lucky today! Fire Fist Ace _and_ Straw Hat Luffy? When we get promoted we'll get promoted Three times over!" The man continued to go on and on, while he was talking Ace and Luffy walked past him, ignoring him as if he was an insect.  
"Anyway, let's go find your ship. Should we go to the beach?"  
"Yup." While they walk a bunch of the men that had stood in their way before turned around, pointing swords in their general direction.  
"Hey you! Hold it!" Man where they getting loud Ace thought to himself. Hard to ignore when they were trying to burst your eardrums. The man with the sword almost started to vibrate in anger.  
"Those bastards, making fools out of us... KILL THEM!" All the men screamed with renewed fighting spirit as they rushed the D brothers. Swords coming from every direction Luffy grabbed hold of his hat and began to dodge. Though it was ungraceful and looked a little awkward Ace could see the practiced movements easily and knew Luffy would be fine. Otherwise how could he have that large a to avoid the swords Luffy flipped back and kicked a man in the face, then after turning to come face to face with another enemy hit him in the head with both feet. Ace, feeling a little left out dodged an attack from some random underling then ran over to another and spun kicked his legs out from under him. After leap frogging another he kicked the last one in the face. On Luffy's side he had become surrounded and at least fifty men doggy piled on top of the straw hatted youth. Stretching his arms up he grabbed hold of a washing line and pulled himself out from the middle of the mass, making the men fly off in different directions. It was pretty hard to hold onto a rubber man.  
"What the hell, his arms stretched?" Asked one of the billions.  
"He must have a Devil Fruit ability too!" Stated another as they aimed their rifles at the black haired young man. Shooting all at once they watched the bullets hit their target then keep going.  
"Don't scare me like that you jerks!" Luffy spoke angrily as they were whipped back toward the enemies. Surprised screams came from the men on the ground as their own bullets turned on them. One of the bullets hit the large man's cheek and he became even more infuriated. Luffy let go of the line and dropped down onto the street, where Ace was patiently waiting for him. With a bellow and one saber drawn the large man charged Luffy, almost making him fall backwards trying to avoid the sword. The man tried an overhead slice at the Straw Hat captain but the blade was caught by Fire Fist and began to melt from the heat. Lufy threw his arms back as far as he could, readying one of his signature moves. The man began to panic as his sleeves caught fire, Ace was definitely annoyed at the man for attacking Luffy.  
"Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!" Pulling his arms back in the let them spring past and hit the guy full on in the chest, sending him flying. All the men still standing backed away as both brothers turned and walked away in unison, Luffy adjusting his hat and Ace pulling his bag back onto his shoulder.

Soon they came to a small alley that leas to the ocean, Luffy ran down and started searching frantically.  
"Ah! The ocean!" Staring out at the sea he smiled, his little brother hadn't changed, except maybe in strength.  
"There they are!" Ace was surprised at their persistence.  
"Don't you guys know when to quit?"  
"Ah! It's over there!" Waving to his nakama Luffy raised his voice and began to yell toward the ship.  
"Oi! I'm over here everyone!" After that he jumped over the cobbled wall down to the next set of stairs.  
"Oi Luffy you go... aw he ain't listen'n." Luffy continued to wave at them then got a great idea. Rather than bringing the ship to him he would bring himself to the ship. Stretching out his arm he grabbed the side of the ship and let his arm retract, successfully flying over the water to crash into Sanji and Chopper.  
"I'm Home!" He yelled as they landed.

Meanwhile Ace was kicking the crap out of the random Baroque works members. Some of them had small ships with cannons nearby and scrambled to follow the red vested youth.  
"Hmph, trying to hurt my cute little brother, I won't let that happen." Flinging his arm outward he quickly set all their ships aflame then turned back to dispatch the rest.

Back on the ship everyone was shaking their heads at Luffy who had slingshot himself right into the blonde chef and the young Doctor.  
"Jeez Luffy." Usopp said, hands on hips.  
"Not again..." Zolo had his face in his palm at their ridiculous Captain, though he was actually trying to hide a grin. Laughing Luffy got onto his knees and held his hat.  
"Sorry about that Sanji, Chopper." Instantly Sanji had a hold of their Captains vest and was shaking him angrily.  
"You asshole! Don't you know your own strength? I oughta throw you overboard!" Nami, one hand on the rope the other on her hip replied.  
"He's right, don't you know how much trouble you've caused us? Act a little more like a Captain." Luffy bent back, still held by Sanji, and frowned.  
"Sorry... Ah! Where's Ace?" Standing he looked over the side of the ship toward the shore.  
"Ace?" Asked Sanji.  
"Your brother was with you?" Though everyone was staring at the shore with Luffy, hoping to get another look at his brother, Zolo was watching their Captain carefully.  
"You sure we should just leave 'em?" All eyes were on their Captain as he turned toward them and grinned.  
"Well, he'll be fine. Ace is strong." Chopper stared up at Luffy, curiosity getting the better of him.  
"Is he really strong?" Leaning against the ship he smiled, remembering the old days.  
"Yeah, even back before he ate that Mera Mera matter how much we fought I never beat him, not once. Ace is _really_ strong." Stunned faces around the crew belied their shock.  
"You never one once? Against a normal human?" The orange haired navigator was the first to speak up.  
"So the brother of a monster turns out to be a _super _monster." Frowning, almost in fear, Usopp couldn't help but wonder where their family came from.  
"Yeah, even I had a tough time. though if we fought now I'd win." Full throated laughter followed this comment as their dark haired captain threw his head back.  
"That's a groundless statement..." Sanji chimed in. At that moment Ace jumped from his small boat and landed on the ship, forcing Luffy to fall forward.

"And just who, is it you can beat?" Sitting in a crouched position on the thick wooden railing. Staring up at him the dark haired youth smiled.  
"Oh, Ace, these are the nakama I was telling you about."  
"Oh, hello everyone. I trust my little brother has been in your care." Bowing his head politely he waited for a reply from Luffy's crew.  
"Yes, he has been." Bowing politely in return his little brother's crew spoke in unison, Ace smiled. Having a small crew seemed like just the thing his cute little brother would do.  
"He has no manners, so he may end up burning your hands a few times..." Smiling at the crew Ace tried to remember what his brother had told him. The swordsman was easy to find, the man was almost glaring at him. He couldn't tell which woman was which but one was a princess and the other was a navigator.  
"Yes he has." Came another reply.  
"I'll entrust him to you." Though it was the polite thing to say Ace felt a little annoyed saying it. Sometimes he wondered about his protectiveness over his brother, but with someone so naive you had to be watchful.  
"For now, you've probably got small talk to share. Wanna come inside? I'll make tea." Glancing at the blonde man he realized that he must be the chef Luffy said was on the crew.  
"Oh, no, don't worry about it. Though I appreciate your consideration." The man was holding a cigarette but it had yet to be lit. Pointing one finger at it he lit the cigarette. Though the blonde man moved it away from his face in surprise he seemed grateful.  
"Th-this is totally unexpected..." The crew was almost speechless, how could these two be related?  
"I thought the guy Luffy described would be some selfish, arrogant, jerk." The long nose seemed to reply first, Ace wondered who he was on the crew.  
"It's a lie, someone this polite _can't_ be Luffy's brother." The orange haired girl had her hands on her chest, a girlish gesture of surprise.  
"He's much more personable than his brother." Though Zolo hated to admit it, Nami was right.  
"Brotherhood must be wonderful." Chopper had never had a family, except for the crew. He wondered how his life would have changed if he had a brother.  
"This doesn't make sense, the sea sure is a strange place." Their reaction was a usual one, when people found out he had a reckless, naive, my pace, little brother they never could believe him.  
"See, aren't they funny." Ace just smiled and fixed his hat. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the swordsman turn, a frown seemed permanently plastered to his face. In front of the ship was a small fleet, all seemed to be under the same commander.  
Luffy leaned over the side of the ship, hand over his eyes to shade from the sun.  
"Them again?" A little frustrated that they were still chasing them down he turned toward Lu-chan and frowned slightly.  
"Luffy, I'll clean em up." Jumping from the side of the ship he landed on his fire powered mini-boat. Throwing the rope off he set his feet firmly in place and used the fire around his feet to power it. From his small boat he could hear the Baroque Works Billions trying to taunt him, with a mischievous smirk he pushed his boat under the water and jumped high into the air. The boat was designed to go under the water and he knew it would be waiting for him on the other side of the ships. Flipping in mid air he let fire envelop him from the waist down, propelling him forward. Spying his boat resurface he landed on it and threw a strong fiery punch toward the ships. As the Straw Hat crew watched the fist slowly broke through every ship, tearing them in half and sinking them almost instantly. With a triumphant grin he tilted his hat up, now only his finger was on fire.

Back with the marines Tashigi ran up to a contemplative Captain Smoker  
"Marine Captain Smoker!" Standing at attention, her arm up in a salute she began to report.  
"We were unable to locate Straw hat Luffy or his crew." Expecting to be verbally reprimanded she was bewildered when Smoker asked her a question instead.  
"Tashigi, what do you think. Vivi was with those pirates." Surprise made her lower her hand and answer curtly.  
"Vivi! Princess Nefertari Vivi was with the Straw Hat Pirates? Is she a hostage? Could they have kidnapped the princess hoping to achieve some ulterior motive?" Smoker sighed at Tashigi's assumption, but then again these were supposed to be thuggish pirates they were dealing with.  
"No, Vivi was moving of her own accord, as if she was one of their Nakama." Tashigi looked a little confused but was now deep in thought.  
"The princess...? Their Nakama...?" Smoker took a deep breathe then blew out some of the cigar smoke.  
"As I suspected, something strange is happening in this country."

On the ship everyone was being merry, they now had a new friend to share drinks with.  
"Ace is now our Nakama! Kanpai! " Ace leaned forward and began to speak in an annoyed voice, though he was secretly happy that Luffy's crew had accepted him so easily.  
"Oi, you guys. Who said I'd be your Nakama?" After drinking deeply the three sat quietly before the long nose grinned.  
"To delicious drinks, Kanpai!" With a dumbstruck look on his face Ace turned to look over at the orange haired woman, who just began to laugh.  
"Don't worry about them. These guys are always looking for a reason to kanpai." Nodding he leaned back and heard the three discussing things that tasted great. As the ship rounded a bend Luffy looked over and asked a question with food in his mouth.  
"So Ace, are you really gonna be our Nakama?" Smiling Ace just took a swig of his tankard.  
"Right now I'm in pursuit of a man. He's known as Blackbeard. He used to be a member of Whitebeard pirates, second division. My subordinate. Until he committed the greatest crime you can on a Pirate Ship... he murdered his Nakama and fled. As the commander I have to find him and finish him off. The only reason I came to this country is because he was reportedly seen in Yuba." Taking another swig of alcohol he tried to get the image of Thatch's body out of his head.  
"So, you're going the same place as us." After being shown the map Ace agreed, he was definitely going the same place as his brother. Turning to look at the crew he watched the green haired swordsman for a second, not liking the feeling the man gave him and not understanding why. Staying with them for a while might not be so bad, that way he could figure out what about the swordsman made him feel agitated. Luffy began to laugh and raised his glass.  
"Let's make this a fun trip Ace!" Everyone raised their glasses and toasted to the joining, for a little while, of Ace to the crew.  
"Aye!" Everyone replied before they drank deeply and began to set sail.

* * *

-Here it takes a change from the path of the original series. Instead of Ace leaving to find Blackbeard he hears a rumor that Blackbeard is in the capital and follows the Straw Hats, helping them with the freeing of Arabasta-

So, hopefully I get some reviews so I know whether or not to scrap this story.


	3. Chapter 3 Knowing the Enemy

Chapter 3 Knowing the Enemy

After all the fighting and freeing the Kingdom Arabasta Ace decided to stay on the Going Merry to watch out for his little brother, after finding out the man he wanted was nowhere in Arabasta he wanted to stay and be with Luffy for a while, though there was that strange new woman on board as well now. It was interesting being on a ship Lu-chan controlled, though it seemed like the orange haired navigator was more in charge. He wondered at their relationship but the way they treated each other was more like big sister and little brother. Ace smiled, Luffy sure did seem to get that reaction from a lot of people. Feeling a cold stare he turned his head from his spot, sitting on top of a water barrel, to see the swordsman glaring at him from the forecastle deck. Usually at this time of day he would be sleeping, but it seemed that he was awake because it was laundry day. His haramaki and white shirt were flying from one of the ropes, along with Luffy's vest, some of the girls clothes, and the chef's aprons. Watching Luffy walk around without a shirt gave Ace that strange tingle up his spine again, but this time he also felt it in his nether region. Confused by this he couldn't help but to watch his little brother play around deck with the long nose and the reindeer, who he was surprised to find out was the ship's doctor and a zoan type user. When Luffy crossed the deck and passed Zolo; Ace caught the look in the man's eyes and felt his protective drive come alive. The nineteen year old man had also been following the dark haired youth with his eyes. Their glaring continued, both speaking volumes without words.

'_What do you think you're staring at fuzz head_.' Zolo's eyes sharpened, somehow, though they hadn't spoken to each other he could tell what the man was thinking.

'_Oh, and what about you "big brother" that look wasn't so brotherly to me._' With an eyebrow raised Zolo could see the fury in the other man rising. It was easy to tell because flames had started to drip from his hands. From beside him he felt a presence and turned his flames off just in time for Luffy to tackle him onto the deck.

"Oi, Ace! Come play with us, show us some cool fire!" With a look of surprise Ace fixed his hat and began to laugh, though it was getting to be a little painful with Luffy laying almost on top of his crotch.

"Alright, alright, I'll show you some cool tricks. Just get offa me." Grinning Luffy gave his brother a large hug before standing and offering him a hand. Glancing over at Zolo he could see the man was in a seething rage, with a triumphant smirk he took Luffy's hand and rose. Sitting back on the barrel Ace began to show Luffy how his fire worked.

* * *

Watching from the forecastle deck Zolo began to get angry. What was with this guy? The way Ace stared at Luffy sure wasn't brotherly and it was starting to piss him off. Besides that Zolo had noticed many physical differences between the two that would suggest they weren't entirely related.

'_Maybe they share the same father, or the same mother. But they sure aren't fully related._' It seemed to him that he would have to keep a watch out for their Captain while the other man was on board.

The feeling of having to protect Luffy from someone considered nakama was strange to Zolo, he had yet to worry about the other crew members. Sanji was a ladies man, Chopper was a kid, Usopp had Kaya, Vivi was gone, the new woman was only interested in books, and Nami treated Luffy like a little brother rather than a Captain. Seeing them together made something in his gut twist painfully, enough that Chopper noticed his grimace of pain.

"Are you alright Zolo? Is one of your wounds bothering you?" Having everyone's attention on him suddenly made him begin to blush, Chopper took this as a bit of pain fever and became even more concerned. A shadow fell over him and Luffy crouched down then placed his forehead against the green haired swordsman's. Zolo's eyes went wide at how close his precious Captain's face was and he felt himself grow even more hot.

"Hmmm, you seem to have a fever Zolo." With a worried frown Luffy stood and looked down at the ships doctor.

"What do you think Chopper?" The young reindeer could sense an underlying feeling coming from the swordsman but he couldn't quite place it. Glancing at the first mate Chopper could see him watching Luffy carefully, to see his reaction.

"I think some soup and sleep is all he needs." He knew that Zolo was ill from something that he couldn't cure so the young doctor prescribed something that would make everyone think the man just had a small cold.

"Oi! Sanji! Can you make some soup for Zolo?" Though the blonde looked a little annoyed he grumbled something and went back into the galley, leaving Robin alone at the table to read her books.

* * *

Ace had noticed right away what the problem with the green haired man was and almost felt pity when they mistook him for being sick. When Luffy left his side to see what the trouble was he couldn't help but feel a pang of loss, having his "little brother" hanging off his arm like he used to. Though he would never admit it his brother meant more to him than almost anything in the world, besides Whitebeard who he considered his father. Seeing Lu-chan bend down and check the mans temperature the light feeling in his stomach began to become a small spark of rage. Luffy was obviously very close to the man.

"Hey, Nami. I wanted to ask you who the First Mate of the ship was. I know you are the Navigator and Lu-chan is the Captain, but who's the first mate?" Surprise filled the woman's eyes and she began to think hard on the subject.

"There never has been a real debate about it but I'm guessing that it would be Zolo, since he was Luffy's first crew mate. Those two are almost always together, it's like they're inseparable." Noticing Ace's now frowning face Nami felt a little awkward telling all of this to Luffy's brother.

"So, what were your parents like? All we've ever heard about is Shanks." This question didn't seem to bode well for the man either, again his face clouded, this time with sadness.

"Oh, that. Well we aren't actually blood related, the three... I mean the two of us are related in spirit only." Since there had been a lot of noise from Luffy and Chopper Ace had raised his voice. Unfortunately this information was heard by everyone during a lull in the conversation.

"What?" Nami seemed surprised, but when she thought about it it wasn't overly surprising that they weren't related. A small smile began to creep along Zolo's face and Ace could almost hear the comment on his mind.

'_So, the truth comes out. Since you aren't related I'll have to watch you more carefully_.' Frowning now; Luffy walked toward Ace.

"You said the three of us..." A sadness they had never seen fell over Luffy as if someone had told him there was already a Pirate King. Turning away from everyone he walked into the main cabin, leaving a stunned audience behind him.

"What did he mean three?" Now that Luffy was upset Nami turned into a nagging mother figure, hands on hips and glaring at the fire user.

"When Luffy was seven and I was ten there was another boy he looked up to. When we were young we swore to stay brothers and drank sake together. His name was Sabo, Lu-chan always called him the nicer brother. No matter how mad we got at each other he would always help us stop fighting. Then the Celestial Dragons came to visit our island. At the time Sabo, the son of a noble, hated his family and wanted to escape the island. When the Celestial Dragon saw him they..." Even just thinking of that day was making him start to tear up. Ace's dearest friend and Luffy's elder brother had only wanted to escape from his former life and start anew. That he had been killed for following his dreams almost made Luffy not want to follow his.

"...they gunned down his ship. Sabo was only ten years old and they killed him. Later I got a letter from our brother that told me to take care of Luffy. I promised then that no matter what happened I would always protect Luffy, he is the most important thing to me." The Straw Hat crew stood in silence, entranced by the story. Losing family at such a young age must have been painful, so how was it Luffy was able to laugh so deeply?

"So, though we don't share the same blood we were adopted by the same family and grew up together. Even grandfather Garp accepted me as one of the family, if that doesn't make him my brother what does?" Grinning Ace tried to make the crew feel a little better about the situation.

"After all, aren't Nakama also family?" With that being said everyone on deck began to smile, Luffy had said the same thing many a time. There was only one person who was not relaxed by that comment. Roronoa Zolo felt a pang of guilt for thinking that Ace was a bad person for having feelings about their Captain. Yet he was nakama, family, and still Zolo felt a strong attraction to the youth. Did that make him any better than Ace?

"Oi, foods ready. There's Parmesan baked fish, a lovely fresh green salad, with some orange vinaigrette and last is the soup for Marimo-head." Both men glared at each other but Sanji could tell the swordsman's heart wasn't into it. Perhaps he really wasn't feeling well.

"We'll be right there Sanji-kun." Nami said, eliciting an almost unmanly squeal of delight from Sanji. As everyone piled into the galley Zolo stood and realized that no one had gone to tell Luffy.

* * *

Entering the Captain's cabin quietly he could see how upset Luffy was instantly. Hat off, sitting on the bed, head down and in the dark. With a sigh Zolo lit a small lamp and closed the door behind him. Shifting his swords so he could sit down the green haired swordsman walked over to the bed and sat down gently.

"Luffy, I... we all heard about your brother. Listen, it must have been hard on you, but aren't your nakama also family?" With his skilled eye he could see the raven haired youth twitch a little in his direction, as if he were trying to listen intently.

"I don't think you want the crew to see their Captain so disheartened, it might make them all feel bad. Come on, perk up. Sanji made Parmesan baked fish for you to eat." In a swift movement the youth had his arms wrapped about the swordsman's waist and dug his face into the man's shirt. For a moment Zolo just sat there, stunned. Relaxing he finally put one hand on his Captain's back and the other on his hair. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the youth's hair was very soft and the smell that wafted up to him was a combination of sea breeze, salt, and straw from the hat he always wore. Breathing deeply he almost missed the movement at the door. The hand from Luffy's back went to his sword as he glared up at Ace, Luffy's so called brother.

"I came to see how you were doing Lu." Sitting up in surprise Luffy looked up at him, Zolo could see the unshed tears in the Captain's eyes and was stunned. Rubbing his face on his hand he started to grin as he turned around and looked at his older brother.

"I'm fine now. Let's go up to eat some of Sanji's delicious food!" Placing his hat on his head he used it to hide his eyes and practically ran out of the room. Leaving Ace and Zolo glaring at each other.

"Oi, swordsman, what do you think you were doing to my cute little brother." Zolo's eye twitched at the word cute but sighed with a small, triumphant, grin.

"The Captain needed someone to confide in, that's what I have always been and always will be." Standing he shifted his swords into a better position to draw, his one hand never leaving the hilt of Wadou Ichimonji. Both watched the other carefully, looking for openings to exploit.

"Ace! Zolo! Come on, we can't wait forever, the food will be all gone." Hearing Nami's voice made the two men stop. Turning around Ace adjusted his hat carefully and started to leave, purposefully leaving his back open to attack as a sort of taunt.

"We'll settle this later." After he left Zolo let go of Wadou Ichimonji and let the breathe he had been holding go. Looking down he spied something on his shirt and found two small wet spots.

"So Luffy had been crying after all..." Finding a cup of water he dumped it over his head, letting it coat his shirt and hiding the twin spots.

Upstairs when asked he told Chopper he dumped the glass on his head to cool down. Glancing over at the Captain he could see a grateful smile on his face before being replaced with a normal smile.

'_Never worry Luffy, I'll always be here for you to confide in._'

* * *

Decided to try a new format, unfortunately I can't please everyone. So try to read it without having a prejudice about the format since this is the way it shall be from now on.  
Chapter 3 was already half written when I posted the first two chapters, Chapter 4 is going to take me a few days. I would like to see some votes by then. :)


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